Paratransit Advisory Committee (PAC)

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1 Paratransit Advisory Committee (PAC) May 16, 2017 Meeting Minutes Meeting commenced at 5:15 p.m. PAC Attendees: Thomas Coppola, Lyudmila Demikovskaya, Edward S. Friedman, Ellen Rubin, Jean Ryan, Ken Stewart, Stanley Weinblatt PAC Attendees by Teleconference Call: David DePorte, Ketrina Hazell, Mindy Jacobsen, RueZalia Watkins Absent: John Moynihan, Tucker B. Salovaara, Sharada Veerubhotla NYC Transit Staff Attendees: Brandon Anderson, Michael Cosgrove, Lynda Edmond, Donna Fredericksen, Eugene Griffith, Martin Goldberg, Felicia D. Jones, Cassandra Lubin-Richards, Kenneth Stuart, Shirley Teran-Marty, Danielle Nelson, John Salerno, Daniel Rodriguez, Chantal Sealy Walker, Brenda Walker Guests: Frank Camp (GCS), Alex Elegudin (TLC) Introductions Stanley Weinblatt PAC member Mr. Weinblatt began the meeting and turned it over to Ms. Rubin, Co-Chair when she arrived. Approval of Minutes Ellen Rubin, PAC Co-Chair Mr. Weinblatt motioned to approve the amendment minutes and Mr. Stewart seconded the motion. Mr. Friedman abstained. Ms. Rubin thanked Mr. Weinblatt for filling in for her until she arrived. Mr. Stuart explained to committee members on the phone that Ms. 1

2 Rubin has arrived and that Deputy VP, Michael Cosgrove was filling in for VP LoPiano. AAR Service Report Deputy Vice President, Michael Cosgrove As requested by the PAC, Deputy VP Michael Cosgrove provided a summary of the Paratransit Report. Registrants increased 4.7% comparing 142,791 registrants in March 2016 to 149,502 registrants March Trips requested decreased 4.5% comparing 706,985 Trips Requested in March 2016 to 674,831 Trips Requested in March Early Cancellations increased 14.1% comparing 87,808 Early Cancellations in March 2016 to 100,199 Early Cancellations in March Trips Scheduled decreased 7.0% comparing 613,484 Trips Scheduled in March 2016 to 570,399 Trips Scheduled in March Trips Completed decreased 7.5% comparing 582,286 Trips Completed in March 2016 to 538,830 Trips Completed in March Customer No-Shows decreased 10.1% comparing 9,356 Customer No-Shows in March 2016 to 8,411 Customer No-Shows in March Carrier No-Shows decreased 22.9% comparing 1,144 Carrier No- Shows in March 2016 to 882 Carrier No-Shows in March 2

3 Total No-Shows decreased 9.4% comparing 13,463 Total No- Shows in March 2016 to 12,202 Total No-Shows in March On Time Performance decreased 1.7% comparing 92.0% On Time Performance in March 2016 to 90.3% On Time Performance in March Appointments On Time decreased 5.0% comparing 86.0% in March 2016 to 81.0% in March Late Trips by Carrier increased 3.6% comparing 33,198 in March 2016 to 34,394 Late Trips by Carrier in March Complaints decreased 11.0% comparing 3,341 complaints in March 2016 to 2,975 complaints in March There was a 3.8% decrease in complaints per 1,000 completed trips comparing 5.74 in March 2016 to 5.52 in March Commendations decreased 7.3% comparing 872 Commendations in March 2016 to 808 Commendations in March Total Boardings decreased 7.9% comparing 806,694 in March 2016 to 743,013 Total Boardings in March VP Deputy Mr. Cosgrove mentioned that there were winter storms in March which caused AAR to close and this is reflected in the statistics report. PAC Comments Mr. Stewart asked where the raw data for Appointments on Time comes from. Mr. Cosgrove stated our ADEPT system documents the appointment time requested and AAR knows the time the drop-off was performed. This information is provided by Global 3

4 Position Satellite (GPS) data that is transmitted into the system. Mr. Cosgrove stated that in previous meetings PAC members have mentioned when scheduling their appointment trips the reservationists were providing very early times for pickup. Based on this feedback, our Scheduling team began reviewing the system, implemented a change and is monitoring the results. Ms. Demikovskaya wanted to make a commendation because she has seen a difference in the time she is given when reserving her appointment trips. Currently, when she travels from one borough to another, she is traveling on the vehicle for a shorter period of time. Ms. Ryan asked if traffic conditions and days of the week, especially Sunday, are taken into consideration at the time of scheduling. Ms. Watkins mentioned that she has also encountered these issues on the weekend schedules. Mr. Rodriguez explained, speed controls working in the ADEPT system are done per half hour based on the region and borough you are traveling in. There are times during the day when there is less traffic; the speeds are faster and the system takes this information into account. When there is heavier traffic, speeds are slower so they allow more travel time. Mr. Cosgrove explained that scheduling software technology now exists that can take historical GPS data and determine how much time is necessary to move from one location to the next. The current Scheduling system doesn t provide this and we are looking into new systems that can do this and more. III. Paratransit Topic Danielle Nelson: Taxi Reimbursement Process Ms. Nelson introduced herself as the manager of Taxi Reimbursement and explained the taxi reimbursement process in a Power Point slide show. Before submitting your request you should: 4

5 Document your trip date and authorization number Make copies of your receipts for your records Complete an AAR Taxi/Car Service Reimbursement Request Form for each authorization number you receive. To locate this form you can visit our website at: www. MTA.info Click on New York City Transit Click on Access-A-Ride Click on Application & Forms then towards the bottom of the page you will Click on Taxi/Car Service Reimbursement Request Form Mail this form with the original taxi receipt to: AAR Taxi Reimbursement NYCT- Paratransit 130 Livingston Street Brooklyn, NY There are three steps in the processing of a Taxi Reimbursement Request: 1. Prepare Mail- hundreds of reimbursement request are received daily. Once received they are stamped, counted, sorted and bundled in preparation for processing. 2. Research Reimbursement Request- In this step receipts are reviewed to ensure they are valid and properly completed by drivers. At a minimum, the driver should fill in (date, fare, car number, name). After ensuring receipts are valid and properly completed authorization to receive taxi reimbursement is verified by checking AAR s database to confirm (authorization numbers, client Id s, trip provided). 5

6 3. Disbursing Payment- Requests are entered into AAR s Taxi Database in preparation of disbursing payment. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays electronic files are submitted to MTA s Business Service Center requesting reimbursement be issued. The Business Center issues reimbursement checks within 1-2 business days of receiving the request and the checks are mailed within 2-3 business days from the date issued. Ms. Ryan and Ms. Rubin felt the process was taking too long. DVP Cosgrove expressed that future plans include using TNC (Technology Network Connectivity) and E-hail. Customers will only have to pay the applicable transit fare and will not have to seek reimbursement. We will be using TNC (Technology Network Connectivity) and E-hail to assign livery cabs such as Green Cabs, Yellow Cabs and Wheel Chair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs) to customers and they won t have to pay out of pocket expense and submit for reimbursements. AAR will have business relationships with these companies. Mr. Friedman inquired if the reservation process will still remain the same where a customer will have to book their trip one to two days in advance. Mr. Friedman expressed that he and many customers prefer the flexibility of taking the taxi at the time a customer is ready but likes not having to pay upfront. DVP Cosgrove acknowledged his concern and replied that we would be looking into ways to provide flexibility in booking and managing trips. Ms. Nelson noted some Do s and Don ts to Ensure Reimbursement: Do submit receipts within 3 months. All car service receipts must include the car service name and phone number. 6

7 Do submit Reimbursement Request Forms with each request. You can also send a letter with the same information (name, customer ID, authorization #). Do not complete receipts yourself. Do not submit a business card in place of a receipt. If using Uber or other types of E-hails make sure you submit the detailed receipt. In the event you get a metered receipt all the information needed is on the receipt. To Inquire: You can call and select Option 1 or Option 8. A representative will assist you by informing you of what mail date we are currently working on. If your inquiry requires attention than a Taxi Reimbursement staff member will follow up. Reconciling Your Authorizations Once you receive the check you can track your reimbursement by locating this information on the invoice check: Authorization numbers which begin with T example (T ) in the invoice column. Date of trip begins with a D (D101116= 10/11/016) in the invoice column. The amount reimbursed for the trip can be found in the Gross or Net columns. IV. PAC Topic PAC Membership Ms. Teran-Marty provided an update on the resumes received for the PAC position. She informed the committee that the last day to 7

8 accept applications was on Monday, May 15 th and several resumes have been received. She will soon contact the Selection Committee for available times and dates for which they will be available to set up phone interviews. Mr. Friedman suggested that new term limits should be in place for each committee member. The committee continued with different suggestions and discussions as to what would help the Paratransit Advisory Committee. Also, Mr. Friedman and Ms. Ryan suggested amending the bylaws and guidelines based on in person attendance. Discussions and Member Feedback There was no additional discussion and member feedback. V. New/Old Business Mr. Stewart suggested Mr. DePorte assign a committee to review PAC member attendance and decide if this should be a factor in considering PAC membership. Ms. Watkins suggested we discuss the procedures AAR takes when a vehicle has an accident or an emergency situation. Mr. Stewart, Ms. Jacobsen and Mr. DePorte mentioned they didn t receive the On The Move newsletter. Closing Ms. Rubin moved to adjourn the meeting and Mr. Friedman seconded the motion. 8

Paratransit Advisory Committee

May 19, 2015 Meeting Minutes Paratransit Advisory Committee Attendance: Fr. James Bradley, Tom Coppola, Lyudmila Demikhovskya, David H. DePorte, Ellen Rubin, Mindy Jacobsen, Miriam Kimmelman, John Moynihan,